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OPINION

Make your voice heard today in city election

Sun-News Editorial Board
Published 3:35 p.m. MT Nov. 7, 2017

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Lisa Murphy, the Las Cruces International Airport manager, gives a presentation to the Las Cruces City Council about a resolution amending the land lease rate at the airport Monday, Oct. 16, 2017. The city adopted the resolution, which slashes hangar lease rates from 20 cents per square foot to 10 cents per square foot.(Photo: Josh Bachman/Sun-News)Buy Photo

It’s Election Day in Las Cruces. If you haven’t done so already, please make plans to vote in the City Council and municipal judge races today.

Every registered voter in the city is eligible to vote for municipal judge, where three candidates are on the ballot. Kent Yalkut, the incumbent, is being challenged by Joy Goldbaum and Nelson Goodin.

There will also be three City Council races, where only residents living in those districts will be able to vote. In District 3, Beverly Courtney and Gabriel Vasquez will be vying to fill the seat being vacated by Olga Pedroza, who is not running for re-election after serving two terms. Incumbent Gill Sorg is being challenged by Steve Montanez and William Fuller in District 5. And in District 6, incumbent Ceil Levatino is facing a challenge by Yvonne Flores.

All elections are nonpartisan, meaning candidates do not run under a party affiliation, and there is not primary election.

Voters can cast their ballots from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at any one of 14 voting sites:

Branigan Library – 200 E. Picacho Ave.

Frank O’Brien Papen Center – 304 W. Bell Ave.

Good Samaritan – 3011 Buena Vida Circle

Lynn Middle School – 950 S. Walnut

Meerscheidt Recreation Center – 1600 E. Hadley Ave.

Munson Senior Center – 975 S. Mesquite St.

Doña Ana County Government Center – 845 N. Motel Blvd.

Henry Benavidez Center – 1045 McClure St.

Highland Elementary – 4201 Emerald Street

Jornada Elementary – 3400 Elks

Desert Hills Elementary – 280 Roadrunner Pkwy.

Sage Café – 6121 Reynolds Drive

Doña Ana Community College East Mesa Branch – 2800 Sonoma Ranch Blvd.

Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern New Mexico – 4441 E. Lohman Ave.

Municipal elections are traditionally plagued by low voter turnout, which is unfortunate. While so much attention is paid to the national political debates, it is the actions of our local officials that can have far more impact. Issues like where you can park your RV, how often you can water your lawn, how much you will pay in local taxes and what kind of police protection you can expect are all made locally.

After meeting with all of the candidates, the Sun-News has endorsed Vasquez in District 3, Montanez in District 5 and Levatino in District 6. Those are our suggestions, but as always, we encourage voters to make up their own minds.

Decisions made today will impact our city for the next four years. Check the Sun-News and other websites to learn as much as you can about each candidate, then get out today to make your voices heard.